Manchester United conceded a 90th-minute equalizer at Newcastle to
draw 3-3 in the English Premier League, after a double from Wayne Rooney
had looked like giving Louis van Gaal's under-fire team a third
straight win.
Paul Dummett's fierce shot from the edge of the area
deflected into the top corner for Newcastle's second equalizer in a
thrilling game at St James' Park on Tuesday, UK time.
Rooney put
United ahead from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, before setting
up Jesse Lingard for the second goal from a quick counter-attack near
half-time.
Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic, also with a
penalty, hauled Newcastle back level, only for Rooney – with a curling
shot from 20 metres in the 79th – to restore United's lead.
"It does feel like a defeat," Rooney said. "If you take a two-goal
lead, we should be taking all three points and killing the game off. We
didn't take all our chances and we have been punished for it."
United
dropped to sixth place in the league and the race for Champions League
qualification after West Ham defeated Bournemouth 3-1 to jump to fifth.
The
penalty converted by Rooney was awarded when Marouane Fellaini headed
the ball at Chancel Mbemba's hand from close range. Just like on
Saturday in scoring an injury-time winner against Sheffield United in
the FA Cup third round, Rooney made no mistake.
Rooney slipped a
left-foot shot just wide before he was set free on another
counter-attack. This time, the England captain held the ball up and
picked out Lingard with a reverse pass that the young winger collected
and side-footed into the net.
Newcastle replied near the interval
through Wijnaldum's eighth goal of the season, a neat volley from 12
metres after running onto a header down by Mitrovic.
The second
half was a furious contest and Lingard could have settled it, only to
curl a shot over the crossbar – much to the anger of van Gaal.
Newcastle
started to dominate possession and territory, and got the goal
they deserved after Mitrovic was adjudged to have been hauled down by
Chris Smalling as they wrestled at a corner.
The striker picked himself up and converted the penalty low, with David de Gea diving the wrong way.
Rooney
put United ahead against the run of play, seizing on a loose ball after
Memphis Depay's shot was blocked and firing high into the far corner.But local lad Dummett had the final say.
"To
score right at the end feels like a victory," Dummett told BT Sport.
"When you're down the bottom of the league you need every point you can
get."
Bottom-placed Aston Villa's hopes of beating the drop received a boost with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Villa Park.
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